We're just moments away from the first practice session of the Japanese Grand Prix. With torrential rain predicted for tomorrow's session the teams will be keen to see how the tyres fare on the surface.

Join us again at 6am for the second practice session.

Leading times: Vettel (1m32.585s), Webber, Kubica, Sutil, Hamilton, Barichello.

The session ends with the team practising grid starts. It was a session where little happened early or late but in the middle section a superb session from the Red Bull pair and a difficult one for McLaren though Lewis Hamilton recorded the fifth time despite crashing into the tyre wall and damaging the front of his car.

Now Button has halted the McLaren after bumping over the kerb at the Double Degner corner stopping in the gravel ahead of the tyre wall.

Like his team-mate, Button slipped off the track but just avoided the tyre wall that Hamilton hit earlier.

Sutil returns to the pits but many others are still on the track as they anticipate a possible wash-out of tomorrow's practise session.

Vettel runs through the pitlane and then back on the track with just over five minutes remaining.

There seems little prospect of significant movement in times at the end of this session. Schumacher catches traffic at the end of his timed lap so eases off for one last push.

Vettel is out again with less than ten minutes on the clock.

Button and Schumacher are also back on the track with the Brit in particular looking for improvement.

Alonso is now out on the track trying to make an impression on the leaders.

With under a quarter of an hour left the top six is Vettel, Webber, Kubica, Sutil, Hamilton and Barichello.

Barichello is up to sixth place with 1m33.677s and his Williams team-mate Hulkenberg moves just behind in seventh.

Kubica also betters his time in third place with 1m33.129s. The Red Bull drivers head into the pits happy with their work.

Vettel records his best time to 1m32.585s and Webber also records his best in second, just five hundredths of a second behind.

Vettel improved on his own and Webber's first sector time but could not beat his top lap time.

Webber threatened the lead recording the fastest first sector time but slots in just behind his team-mate with 1m33.137s.

Business is picking up! Vettel improves his time to 1m32.725s and Kubica moves up to second with 1m33.380s.

Webber improves his time to 1m33.694s despite going a little wider than he intended on the 180 degree hairpin, but remains in fifth.

Button moves up to 13th and Webber begins his first timed lap trying to compete with his team-mate who earlier set the leading time.